Nouver first came to Black Desert in August 2015 as a desert dragon without wings. However, Pearl Abyss decided a year ago to do a rework on Nouver that gave it wings, new attack patterns and additional damage. Nouver has been reborn as a more agile dragon who is now a greater threat, leaping around ferociously and posing lethal danger.

When hunting Nouver, the safest option usually is to stay behind it and attack its hind legs. In this case, the only major threat to watch for would be when Nouver jumps backward, and it becomes easier to avoid its other attacks. The following guide introduces Nouver’s attack patterns along with tips on how to avoid them, so that hopefully more Nouver secondary weapons will appear in the marketplace.

Author's note

- This guide was created with information collected from Inven KR's BDO community.
- The gifs used in this guide originate from 신곁행(Shingyeothaeng) and 원돌님(Wondolnim)'s videos.
- Screenshots and video guides to reach Nouver are 팡진(Pangjin)'s contribution.
- Nouver received a number of tweaks even after the rework, therefore some detail may not fully match with the current version.
- View this guide as a reference rather than the ultimate solution.

Finding Nouver

Nouver spawns approximately 30 minutes after the system announcement pops up. Set off from Sand Grain Bazaar and keep heading east. Refer to the following pictures and videos for more detail on how to reach Nouver.

Attack patterns

Pattern 1: Body turn

Nouver lifts its wings, winds up slightly in the opposite direction, and makes a huge turn that deals damage to those in its path. Although the animation makes it seem like a single hit attack, Nouver actually lands multiple hits through its turn and deals significant damage. Being exposed to a hit or two does not deal as much damage to you, so avoid the attack with courage as soon as you notice the windup motion. This attack pattern also has quite a large radius, because the hitbox includes not only Nouver’s feet but also its entire head. There is also a small hitbox on the opposite side of the direction Nouver swings its body.

Melee characters can utilize evasion skills to cut through the attack or move through Nouver’s legs to reach the side where the attack does not land. You can still take damage from the opposite side if you are too close to Nouver’s head or tail. Ranged characters can back away to safety, but Nouver’s long body makes it difficult to correctly determine how close or far you are from the hitbox. Remember that the hitbox can be larger than you would expect.

Pattern 2: Jump

Nouver jumps to a random direction, dealing damage as it lands on the ground. Keep in mind that Nouver can jump in all directions, including backwards and even sideways like the Ranger does with her bow. Notice the crouching motion just before Nouver makes a jump. Carefully watch how Nouver crouches its body, because it always crouches towards the direction opposite of where it is going to jump. There is still time to dodge the attack before Nouver lands its feet on the ground.

Pattern 3: Fire breath while on the ground

You can expect that Nouver will breathe out fire once it starts lifting the front half of its body. Nouver can belch out flames multiple times, but uses the same casting animation before each fire breath. This pattern often comes right after a jump, but with the same casting animation, so there is enough time for us to dodge the attack.

The fire breath’s hitbox is rather narrow, so you can avoid the attack by simply dodging sideways. You can also flank Nouver from behind as soon as it lifts upper part of its body. Nouver has to stand still until it is done breathing out fire, and that gives you enough time to land some combo attacks. Be careful not to pass through its chest because the fire breath’s hitbox starts from Nouver’s chest. Quickly move forward and aside when Nouver’s wings are blocking your sight.

Pattern 4: Claw attack

This attack is agile and also one of Nouver’s most frequently used attacks. Nouver quickly turns around as far as 180 degrees and does a fast sweep with its claw. How far it turns its body before the attack depends on who is taking the aggro, and it can be very minimal. Claw attack knocks you to the ground when it hits, making you vulnerable to additional attacks. There is a slight delay before Nouver actually strikes the players with its claw, as it lifts its foreleg temporarily before swinging it. Dodge right away if you see Nouver lift its foreleg.

Pattern 5: Sand storm

When Nouver’s HP is reduced to a certain amount, Nouver crawls into the sand, leaving sandstorms behind. Sandstorms can knock you down, making you vulnerable to its multi-hit attack. Sandstorms do not move around, so try to stay away from it and spam evasive skills if you are caught in it.

Pattern 6: Fire breath while flying

Nouver takes off, flies around and shoots fire from above. Fire knocks you down if it hits, which can put you in a dangerous situation, as Nouver tends to hit the same target multiple times with this attack pattern. Dodging the flame just before being hit still works, but for better results, especially for those without agile evasive skill, you may want to move once you hear the sound of Nouver belching flame. The flame does not curve and approaches fast, so relying on sound to dodge Nouver’s flame promises a better result.